Frank Kaminsky, who spent last season playing for Partizan in Europe, shared his thoughts during the Phoenix Suns’ media day. Kaminsky, back in the NBA with the Suns, reflected on his time in Europe and the challenges he faced.
“I’ve always wanted to be in the NBA,” Kaminsky said, addressing his experience with Partizan. “It was really different. The whole process of going there happened so quickly. There was just a week between getting married and moving to Serbia. Honestly, I’m not sure if my experience with Partizan was good or bad. Of course, I learned things from European basketball that I can use in the NBA, but life there was tough for me.”
Kaminsky explained how difficult it was adjusting to life in Belgrade, stating, “I love living in my home in Phoenix. In Belgrade, I felt completely alone. I didn’t have my friends or family with me, and it wasn’t easy to get used to, especially at the beginning. As the season went on, I established a routine and started playing better. You saw it in the Olympics too—basketball is different in Europe. You need to understand the nuances, and at first, I played really badly. But once I started figuring out the game, I had a much better second half of the season.”
He also highlighted some of the difficulties he faced with the European style of play: “Footwork is incredibly important in Europe. But there are some moves that you can do in the NBA that just don’t work in Europe. I was constantly overthinking every move on the court, which led to a lot of mistakes. But once I got used to the rules, things became easier. They emphasize less physicality in European basketball and focus more on skill, ball movement, and players constantly moving. If I can bring some of those things to the NBA, it’ll be really beneficial.”
Kaminsky also talked about the fan culture in Serbia: “We played every game in front of 20-25,000 fans. It was crazy. Their love for basketball never fades. It’s both a good and a bad thing, but from that perspective, it was a lot of fun. The fans were amazing, and I had some great experiences. Plus, I got to travel to some beautiful countries in Europe.”
Last season with Partizan, Kaminsky played 30 games in the EuroLeague, averaging 8.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
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